What does it mean exactly to be a university that is completely autonomous? The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) outlines the characteristics of autonomous universities as those that “demonstrate instructional quality and enhancement through internal QA systems, and demonstrate excellent program outcomes through a high proportion of accredited programs, the presence of centers of Excellence and/or Development, and/or international certification.” To put it another way, it is a representation of the importance that a university places on education. There are not a lot of different institutions that can say they are completely autonomous.

Beginning in the year 2009, the University of Luzon has maintained its status as an autonomous institution for the past 13 years. In point of fact, we have been given this distinction before any other university in Region I (which is also known as the Ilocos Region). Our independence is a direct result of our commitment to the quest for superiority in higher education and the conviction that both our students and our programs are entitled to nothing less than the best.

Because there is no end to the process of progress, we will never stop trying to improve ourselves and adapt to new circumstances. The ferocious, unstoppable, and ever-focused on the prize mentality of the tiger is embodied not only by our individual students, but also by the institution as a whole. In this scenario, the prize consists of both the achievement and preservation of the autonomy of our university, as well as being the best that we possibly can be.